Training Device for Golf Stroke Direction

ABSTRACT

A golf stoke training aide includes a plurality of spaced spherical objects of different colors supported on or above a golf playing surface. The aide is placed between the golfer and golf hole cup. The spaced apart spheres represent the preferred direction to strike the ball based upon the anticipated path of the ball to the hole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is directed to a training device for indicating togolfers the correct stroke direction taking into account the slope ofthe putting green or other terrain in close proximity to the puttinggreen.

2. Description of Prior Art

In the game of golf, putting greens and fringe areas alongside thegreens are frequently sloped in several directions in order to addadditional skill requirements for golfers. Strokes referred to as chipor lob strokes will not often not travel in a straight line to the holeonce they hit the ground. Also the path of the golf ball during aputting stroke will curve according to the slope of the green betweenthe hole and the position of the ball on the green. This concept issometimes difficult to explain to new golfers. Verbal instruction as towhere to initially direct the golf ball such as inside the right edge ofthe cup or one cup to the left are not readily understood.

Consequently, there is a need for a training device that will readilyassist a new golfer in understanding the need to compensate for theslope of the terrain on or near the green when attempting a stroke.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

These and other needs in the art are addressed by an apparatus thatincludes a plurality of colored balls on a support device. In oneembodiment the balls are supported by a vertical shaft that is adaptedto be placed within a regulation golf cup and supported in the samemanner as a flagstick. In another embodiment, the training device issupported above the ground by a pair of spaced support legs.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technicaladvantages of the present invention in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood.Additional features and advantages of the invention will be describedhereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conceptionand the specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as abasis for modifying or designing other embodiments for carrying out thesame purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized bythose skilled in the art that such equivalent embodiments do not departfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of theinvention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention adaptedto be supported within a conventional golf cup.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the device placed in a golf cup and showingpossible paths of the golf ball to the golf cup.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the inventionadapted to rest upon a golfing surface such as the green or fringe area.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the supportmember shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the training device 10 which isadapted to be positioned within a conventional golf cup located on thegreen surface 12. The device includes a vertical shaft 13 which isadapted to be placed in a supporting hole 45 which normally supports aflagstick within the golf cup 11. A horizontally extending shaft havingarms 15 and 14 is secured at its mid-point to vertical shaft 13

A plurality of bodies shown as spherical balls 16-27 are supported byarms 13 and 14. Balls 16-27 may be the approximate size of a golf balland have a central bore through which arms 15 and 14 pass. The ballclosest to vertical shaft 13 may be multicolored, one half 20 being of adifferent color. The same is true for half ball segments 22 and 23. Theremaining balls 16-19 and 24-27 are also of different colors from eachother. Balls 22-27 may have the same color pattern of balls 16-21 asthey are positioned away from shaft 13. For example balls 19 and 24 maybe off of the same color as well as half balls 21 and 22.

FIG. 2 illustrates the use of the training device. The head of a putter31 a may be positioned to be perpendicular to a straight line 29 to thehole which would correspond to a straight put having no break to it.

On the other hand, if the putt is expected to break to the right, theputter face 31 b would be positioned as shown at 31 b.

A golfer must “read” the green to estimate how much the putt will break.Depending on the estimate the instructor would tell the student whichball to aim at.

The anticipated path of the ball based on the estimate and aiming pointis illustrated by the dotted lines 16 a-27 a. Thus if by reading thegreen the golf ball would break two balls to the right, the studentwould be told to aim for ball 19 so that the ball would enter the cup inthe middle. If the balls were one inch in diameter and the put wasexpected to break five inches to the right, then the student would beinstructed to aim at ball number 17.

For putts that were expected to break to the left as illustrated bylines 22 a-27 a, the same process of instruction would be used with theface of the putter being generally oriented as shown at 31 c.

A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3. Thedevice includes a pair of spaced apart supports 41, 43 have groundengaging foot members 42, 44. Members 42 and 4 may have holes 62 suchthat a golf tee 61 may be used to anchor the supports to the ground. Ashaft 45 is supported by supports 41, 43. Shaft 45 would have a lengthfor example between one foot to 10 feet and supports 41, 43 could be oneinch to several feet in height. Balls 51-57 are supported on shaft 45.Supports 41 and 43 may consist of two shafts that are verticallyadjusted with respect to each other by any known mechanism.

In this embodiment ball 51 could be a first color and indicate astraight shot. This embodiment is intended to be used for a chip shot inwhich the ball 32 is struck by a lofted club such that the ball becomesairborne as a result of the stroke. Area 41 may correspond to the fringearea around green surface 12.

Pair of balls 52-57 may be of the same color but a different color thatthe other pairs.

In use, the instructor would again “read” the green or surface toestimate the path of the ball once it lands on the surface of the fringeor green. The student would be instructed to hit the golf ball over orunder the pair of balls that would represent the estimated path of thegolf ball once it hits that surface. For example, if the estimated pathof the ball is 53 a, then the student would be instructed to hit theball 32 either over or under the pair of balls 53.

FIGS. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the support mechanism of FIG. 1. Itincludes a first shaft 13 adjustably positioned within support shaft 82which is adapted to rest in aperture 45 of golf cup 11. A compressionfitting 81 may be provided for adjusting the position of shaft 13 withinsupport shaft 82. Any other known adjustment mechanism such as thosediscussed above may also be utilized.

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described indetail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions andalterations may be made herein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Bodies 15-27 and 51-57 are shown spherical in shape, however they may beformed as other shapes such as rectangles or other bodies of revolution.

What is claimed is:
 1. A golf stroke training device comprising; ahorizontal shaft supporting a plurality of bodies, at least two of thebodies being of a different color, and means for supporting the shaft onor above a golf course playing surface.
 2. A golf stroke training deviceis claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for supporting the horizontalshaft includes a vertical shaft adapted to be supported in a golf holecup.
 3. A golf stoke training device as claimed in claim 2 wherein saidhorizontal shaft includes two arms extending outwardly from the verticalshaft.
 4. The golf stroke training device as claimed in claim 3 whereinthe arms support a plurality of bodies, a body which is closest to theshaft being formed of two pieces of different colors.
 5. A golf stroketraining device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for supportingthe horizontal shaft on or above a golf course playing surface comprisea pair of spaced ground engaging supports.
 6. A golf stroke trainingdevice as shown in claim 1 wherein the bodies are spherical in shape.